Surfing uncertainty with screams: predictive processing, error dynamics and horror films

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Media and Cultural Studies
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Human attraction to aversive fictional content (horror, disgust) is a persistent mystery.
• Existing theories on the psychological benefits of horror engagement offer conflicting explanations.
• Empirical evidence supports psychological benefits of engaging with horror media.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the predictive processing framework as a unifying theory for understanding engagement with horror content.
• To explain the paradoxical appeal of horror entertainment, often described as a 'sweet spot' of fear and fun.
• To provide testable hypotheses for future research on horror media consumption.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical exploration integrating predictive processing principles with existing psychological and media theories.
• Analysis of the 'sweet spot' phenomenon in horror entertainment through the lens of predictive processing.
• Formulation of hypotheses regarding the cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying horror engagement.

Main Results:

• The predictive processing framework offers a coherent explanation for why individuals seek out and enjoy frightening fictional experiences.
• This framework elucidates the balance between negative arousal (fear) and positive affect (fun) in horror.
• It resolves contradictions in previous theories by focusing on information processing and prediction error minimization.

Conclusions:

• Predictive processing provides a powerful, unifying account for the appeal of aversive fictional content.
• This framework can guide future empirical research into the psychological underpinnings of horror engagement.
• Understanding horror appreciation through predictive processing opens new avenues in aesthetics and media psychology.